


To Live Vicariously

by Oi_Josuke



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Dark, Dark Comedy, Drug Use, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Explicit Language, F/M, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Tagging, Slow Burn, Suicidal Thoughts, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:34:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21833008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oi_Josuke/pseuds/Oi_Josuke
Summary: He’d done it; The Siren of Hope County had finally been dealt with. Corey’s hands shook as his AK-47 dropped to the misty, green ground of the Bliss. His eyes were wide, his breathing was ragged, blood was soaked deep into his clothes, sweat trickled down his forehead in intricate webs akin to a spider’s home.Everything had happened so fast; shooting wildly into a crowd of angels led to a stray bullet coming into contact with the dreaded Bliss Herald of Hope County.Each time Corey blinked, the hazy green of the Bliss faded into the real world. The ground was no longer infested with white bliss flowers, the water was clearer, and the prominent green fog dissipated in the wind.Faith’s heart wrenching “NO!” still cascaded in his ears as he walked aimlessly towards the river in front of him.“You still don’t understand, do you?” Faith’s quiet voice knocked Corey out of his stupor, the junior deputy cocking his head to the left so the girl was in his view.Blood ran down the right side of Faith’s face, her left eye was bruised, and a small line of blood slipped out from the corner of her mouth, dripping a ruby red on her once pristine, white dress.
Relationships: Deputy | Judge & Earl Whitehorse, Deputy | Judge & Joey Hudson & Staci Pratt, Deputy | Judge/Faith Seed, Male Deputy | Judge/Faith Seed, Male Deputy | Judge/Joey Hudson
Comments: 12
Kudos: 15





	1. A Siren's Call

**Author's Note:**

> So, I made this in the spur of the moment and will try my best to update frequently. Comment your thoughts, and enjoy it!

He’d done it; The Siren of Hope County had finally been dealt with. Corey’s hands shook as his AK-47 dropped to the misty, green ground of the Bliss. His eyes were wide, his breathing was ragged, blood was soaked deep into his clothes, sweat trickled down his forehead in intricate webs akin to a spider’s home.

Everything had happened so fast; shooting wildly into a crowd of angels led to a stray bullet coming into contact with the dreaded Bliss Herald of Hope County.

Each time Corey blinked, the hazy green of the Bliss faded into the real world. The ground was no longer infested with white bliss flowers, the water was clearer, and the prominent green fog dissipated in the wind.

Faith’s heart wrenching “ _NO!”_ still cascaded in his ears as he walked aimlessly towards the river in front of him.

“You still don’t understand, do you?” Faith’s quiet voice knocked Corey out of his stupor, the junior deputy cocking his head to the left so the girl was in his view.

Blood ran down the right side of Faith’s face, her left eye was bruised, and a small line of blood slipped out from the corner of her mouth, dripping a ruby red on her once pristine, white dress.

Corey’s eyes narrowed at the girl. Placing a hand in his holstered 1911, he took a step forward.

“I understand enough,” Corey said, his voice just barely above a whisper.

Faith shook her head sullenly, dropping her head low as she fumbled with her hands in front of her stomach.

“I understand that you are responsible for the deaths of hundreds,” Corey furrowed his brow, glaring at Faith with disdain in his eyes.

“No, you don’t. Joseph believes he’s our savior. But you’ll be the one to decide what happens. This all started with you, and it’s going to end with you.”

Faith took a step towards Corey, lip curling into a hopeful smile as she reached forward, lurching her body weight towards the deputy.

Corey’s eyes widened, his grip on his 1911 tightening as he stepped back in fear. 

Faith’s hopeful smile dropped in an instant, her face flowing through a multitude of emotions in an instant.

Anger, denial, fear, then acceptance. Her head dipped low, nodding as she turned to face the nearby lake. 

Corey could feel a lump in his throat form, his chest tightening with guilt as he watched Faith stumble towards the water.

Blood dripped onto the ground, a pathway being created to her grave.

Corey turned to walk away, fully expecting the cult leader to drop dead in the coming moments.

“You want to know something, Corey?”

Corey stopped in his tracks, turning to look at Faith with narrow eyes. Confusion spreading at the use of his first name.

“I once thought, I was ready to die for the Father,” Faith started, running her hand along the petals of a nearby flower before looking back up at Corey, a single tear dropping from her eye. “But, I’m n-not.”

Corey noticed how Faith’s voice wavered, her teeth clashing together as if she were cold. He inhaled sharply, guilt brewing in his stomach as he watched the girl gaze down at the water. Her body shaking.

“I don’t want to die,” her bottom lip quivered as she hiccuped.

Corey let out a groan, he knew not to trust Faith, but this seemed too real, she couldn’t possibly be lying, right?

“But I have no purpose anymore,” Faith sucked in a breath, shutting her eyes tightly before gazing up at the starry sky one last time. 

Corey watched Faith intently, eyes locked solely on the woman as she stared into the sky.

Faith took a deep breath, exhaled, then looked at Corey once again, a calm smile on her face.

“I hope you’re happy, Deputy. I hope you’re proud of everything you’ve done,” Faith’s voice betrayed her smile.

Corey desperately wanted to leave. This had to be a part of her plan; get him to sympathize with her, then strike at the last possible moment while she had the advantage.

Corey clenched his jaw, he could feel a lump form in his throat as he watched Faith walk deeper into the river, turning to lay on her back once the water was about waist-high.

The water was infected with a dark crimson as Faith laid herself gracefully in the water, turning her head so half of it was submerged underwater. Corey watched as the Bliss Herald slowly drowned herself, his heart clenching at the scene.

He should be happy, shouldn’t he? The Henbane would now finally be free from Faith’s reign, so why did he feel so… guilty?

Faith’s body sunk, one last final wisp of bliss leaving her body, pooling around the ground before sinking, turning into a single, white bliss flower. Corey let out a small gasp as he bent down to pick the flower up. He studied the flower before gently placing it in front of Faith’s sinking body, turning around to leave the river.

As he limped, Faith’s final few words stuck with him, plaguing his mind as he walked aimlessly.

 _“Just don’t think about it,”_ he told himself, as long as he didn’t think about it, he’d be fine, the guilt would leave.

He thought about it.

Corey dragged himself back through the forest, searching for the river in desperation. Finding Faith didn’t take long, her white dress and the red river acting as beacons for Corey.

The cuts and sores littering Corey’s body stung in pain as he walked into the river. Lifting Faith’s unconscious body out of the water and onto solid ground. Corey put her down as soon as he could, it may have been soil and rock, and uneven as all hell, but it was better than nothing.

Corey put his ear onto Faith’s chest, checking for a heartbeat, subtle breathing, anything. Corey let out a sigh as he heard her subtle, but present heartbeat. 

Corey started checking for injuries shortly after, specifically any bullet wounds he may have inflicted. Corey found only one, a shot from his AK that landed a few centimeters on the right side of Faith’s stomach. Corey carefully turned Faith to her side, relief washing over him as an exit wound entered his vision.

He cursed internally; he had nothing to treat the wound, other than a few fragments of his plaid shirt that were tear able. Corey let out a grunt of frustration, tearing off the cleanest sleeve of his plaid shirt, wrapping it around Faith’s body to act as a makeshift bandage. 

Corey knew all of this was a futile effort; blood was oozing from Faith’s stomach, he had zero access to a formal hospital, and had practically no supplies available to treat the wound. Faith’s chances of survival were slim to none.

Yet he tried.

Teeth clenching as he pressed down on the wound, blood seeping through his shirt and onto his hands.

Faith’s eyes crinkled in discomfort; letting out a soft groan before slowly cracking her eyes open, shock and fear washing over her features as she looked at Corey’s face.

“W-What are yo-?”

“I need you to stay awake,” Corey cut her off before she could finish, eyebrows knit together in concentration, voice clearly stating this was not up for debate.

Faith stared at the deputy in a confused daze, her mouth gaping open as she studied the man’s face.

His eyes were knit in concentration, lips tugging into a small frown as blood leaked onto his fingers.

Faith’s eyes were drawn to the crimson liquid; the ruby red of life spilling from her veins onto the rock underneath. A chill shot up her spine as she watched more and more flow freely onto the ground.

“Hey!” Corey’s commanding voice knocked Faith out of her daze, her blue eyes locking on to his hazel. “Don’t focus on the blood, just focus on staying awake.”

Corey knew this was a horrible idea, he really should’ve just let her die peacefully in the river. But the guilt that held his throat like a vice grip told him otherwise. Different possibilities ran throughout his mind, each scenario seeming worse than the last. He prayed that one would work. That one would allow him to keep Faith’s condition under wraps until he could properly explain everything. But doubt still festered in his mind. 

_“It’s at least worth a try,”_ He told himself.

All he needed was Faith.


	2. Sanctuary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Find me digging through your brain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2! We’ll start getting into more serious moments soon! And the whole vicariously living thing will start showing up. Hope you enjoy!

Corey knew his luck was going to run out, he just prayed it wasn’t any time soon. Stumbling through the woods while carrying someone was far from the most strenuous thing Corey had gone through during his time in Hope County, but that didn’t mean it was _easy_.

Faith wasn’t heavy by any means, but she certainly wasn’t light either. Luckily, not long into his trek, a barren truck was resting on the side of the road, the sigh of relief that escaped Corey when his eyes landed on the vehicle was unmistakable.

So here he was; driving around the Henbane River with zero ammo, numerous wounds, about half a tank of gas, and a nearly unconscious Seed in the passenger seat.

This was _just_ what Corey needed right about now.

Corey leaned against the driver’s side window, staring out onto the empty streets; no real destination in his mind. Hell, no real plan for Faith either. 

His eyes drifted over to the girl, his eyes studying her.

She was leaning against the window, eyes struggling to stay open as she peered out the window to view the wilderness. Her brown hair framed her face in a messy manner, her cuts, and bruises still visible on her face. A barely noticeable scowl on her face.

Corey let out a sigh, lips tugging into a frown as he focused on the road once more.

“Look, I know I’m not your first option when it comes to someone to be stuck with. Hell, I’m probably not even your hundredth.”

Faith slowly turned to look at Corey, eyes slightly narrowed at the junior Deputy, watching him with a keen eye.

“But, unfortunately, that’s how it’s probably gonna be for a little while Faith,” Corey sounded like his visible self. Tired, broken, ready to break at any second.

Faith could easily hear just how exhausted the Deputy was. A small pit of shame forming in her stomach, she knew she was the cause of his suffering.

“Why did you save me?” The question escaped Faith before she could stop herself.

“I…” Corey paused, his brow furrowing as he searched for an answer. He let out a defeated sigh, rubbing his forehead as if to soothe a headache. “I don’t know.”

Faith was far from satisfied with that answer. She wanted to pry, to question, to figure out just why the Deputy of all people saved the very person he set out to kill.

Faith didn’t say anything in response, instead, she pressed the side of her head against the window once again.

An awkward silence fell between the two, neither of them knowing what to say.

“Maybe… maybe because you reminded me of myself.”

Faith’s ears perked up like a cat, the sentence easily catching her attention. Faith shifted uncomfortably, hoping she didn’t disturb the bullet wound that she now carried.

“What do you mean?” She pressed further, watching Corey curse to himself, shaking his head as if he thought he had revealed too much.

Corey seemed to fight himself, wondering if he should explain what he meant or to drop the subject entirely.

“Fuck, just… don’t worry about it,” Corey leaned back into the cheap leather of the car seat, suddenly finding the chair to be uncomfortable. The truck seemed too small all of a sudden, his left foot bounced uncontrollably.

Faith’s lips fell into a frown, she eyed the Deputy warily as she shifted once again, doing her best not to muddle her wound.

Faith continued to stare out her window, watching as forests and wildlife flicked past her eyes. 

Faith’s mind wandered about, she wanted to know more about the Deputy. Despite causing the project so much turmoil and dismay, they knew next to nothing about him. 

He was a blank slate. An anomaly. 

An anomaly that she wanted so desperately to crack open if she ever got the chance.

\-------------------

“If my luck was normally this good, I’d start buying lottery tickets,” Corey mumbled to himself, staring down the empty cabin in front of him.  
It was definitely old, and _definitely_ starting to rot away, but hey, it was better than nothing.

“Alright, let’s head on down,” Corey said, pushing open the truck door with his foot, an ear-piercing grating noise shrieking from the old and rusted hinges on the truck door.

“To that?” disgust coated Faith’s normally childish voice like a plague.

Corey looked at the Bliss Herald with exasperated eyes, sighing quietly as he slammed the truck door shut.

“Would you rather sleep in this cramped old truck with me only a few inches away?” Corey asked, lips tugging into a smirk at the sight of Faith’s nose scrunching up in discomfort.

Faith opened the truck door with a small degree of difficulty, letting out a small whimper at the discomfort her bullet wound caused.

“That’s what I thought,” Corey muttered under his breath, exiting the truck himself.

The rocks underneath Corey’s boots crunched under his weight, the junior deputy walking towards the old cabin with a slight limp, the wounds from the day prior still causing him discomfort.

As Corey drew closer, the details of the cabin’s rotting form became more and more clear.

Plywood covered every window, a few small cracks were present to allow sunlight to filter in. Bullet holes covered a small portion of the side of the building and a single bloodstain was plastered near the main door. 

Corey stopped his movements, remaining only a few inches away from the old, decrepit door. The sound of feet moving behind him, made Corey let out a defeated sigh. He turned around slowly, Faith’s back was turned to him. The girl was walking down the street, a few meters away from where Corey was standing.

The deputy walked up to the woman, catching up to her quickly despite his injuries. Corey assumed Faith had heard him approach, as the Herald stopped moving shortly after Corey started his march.

“Leaving so soon?” Corey’s mouth ticked up into a smirk, softly clapping a hand on Faith’s shoulders.

Faith visibly stiffened at the Deputy’s hand, her shoulders locking up in an instant as a shaky gasp escaped her. The act turned Corey’s smirk into a frown.

“Faith,” Corey started, gently taking his hand off her shoulder. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

The girl remained silent, the constant chirping of the birds and sounds of wildlife filling the void between the two.

“Are you… are you forcing me to go with you?” Faith’s voice was quiet, just barely above a whisper. She looked up at the deputy with sullen eyes, tears seemingly on the edge of spilling out. Her bloodied lip quivering as it slipped into a frown.

Corey felt the familiar grip of guilt seize him. His throat drying up in an instant as a lump formed. 

“Technically, I could arrest you for manufacturing and distributing an illegal substance, so… yeah, yeah I have to force you to come with me,” Corey didn’t sound proud of himself, if anything, it seemed as if he hated what he was doing. 

Faith let out a shaky breath, slowly turning towards the decaying cabin. As she shifted to take a step forward, a searing pain rocketed through her body, causing Faith to stumble and fall, a yelp of surprise escaping her throat.

“Woah, there,” Corey caught Faith mid-fall, wrapping his arm around her abdomen to stop her descent. “Easy now.”

As Corey helped Faith regain her balance, the sinking feeling of shame bubbled up in his chest. 

“ _This wouldn’t be happening if you shot her,”_ he thought bitterly, jaw tensing as his teeth ground together.

“You alright?” Corey asked, placing his hand on Faith’s back as he guided her towards the old cabin.

“Yeah… yeah, I’m okay,” Faith gasped out, limping her way to the cabin.

Corey couldn’t help but be impressed by the girl’s tenacity, walking with a decent degree of success despite having a bullet wound in her stomach. It was certainly something.

Corey followed suit, walking towards the barren cabin mere inches away from Faith.

The deputy kept a keen eye on the herald, watching her movements like a wolf would its prey. 

A feeling of unease brewing in his stomach.

———————

Faith’s feet rocked back and forth as she sat upon an old, musty bed. Eyes scanning the room as Corey searches the desolate cabin for medical supplies. The thick silence that coated the cabin hovered over the two.

“All right, this place didn’t have much, but what it’s got will make do,” Corey’s voice echoed throughout the cabin, the deputy himself rounding the corner to the kitchen area shortly after. A bottle of vodka and bandages in his hands.

Corey looked at Faith, a sudden realization coming to him that made his cheeks burn.

“You’re gonna have to, ugh, ya know,” The deputy whistled while pointing upwards to emphasize his point.

Faith eyed the deputy down with a glare, her own dusting of pink coating her cheeks.

After undoing the flowery belt between the skirt and shirt, Faith lifted the top half of her ensemble just high enough for her wound to be visible. The sleeve of the deputy’s shirt still acting as a makeshift bandage.

Corey knelt down to eye level with the wound, carefully removing the now ruined sleeve from Faith’s stomach.

The wound looked a lot smaller without blood pouring out from it like a faucet. Corey opened the bottle of vodka and held it cautiously above Faith’s stomach.

“This is gonna sting a bit,” Corey warned, glancing up at Faith with a sympathetic look before slowly pouring the alcohol over the wound.

The surprised gasp Faith let out as her hand quickly grabbed onto Corey’s forearm filled the deputy with guilt. 

As Corey poured vodka on the exit wound of the bullet, Faith’s gasps turned into pained whimpers.

“I know, I know, it hurts,” Corey sympathized, wiping down some of the excess alcohol before wrapping the bandages around Faith’s stomach. 

“There, easy as that,” The Deputy mumbled, looking over his work before standing up, turning around so Faith had privacy while she fixed her shirt.

“Where’d you learn first aid?” Faith asked, curiosity evident in her voice as she tied her shirt.

“AIT training, was a combat medic before joining law enforcement,” Corey explained, placing the unused vodka down on the dingy coffee table in front of him.

“You were in the army? Jacob must’ve appreciated that,” Faith mumbled the last part, her comment just quiet enough for Corey not to pick up on it.

“Yeah?” Corey answered her question, raising an eyebrow as he turned to face the Bliss Herald.

“Do you guys know anything about me?” Corey asked, the smallest hints of offense creeping into his tone.

Faith meekly shook her head “no,” watching the Deputy as he let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair before taking a seat next to hear on the rickety old bed. 

“Well, seeing as to how we’ll be stuck together for the foreseeable future, I guess I should tell you about myself. Seeing as to how I basically know everything about you.”

Corey leaned back onto the bed, placing his hands behind his head as d looked towards the ceiling.

“Ask away,” The Deputy said.

I’m an instant, Faith went from a silent prisoner, to asking millions of questions at record speed.

Some were simple, such as.

“Where were you born?”

“Des Moines, Iowa. Although I moved to Toronto, Canada for a few years.”

“How old are you?”

“28.”

“What’s your full name?”

“Corey Steven Volk. It’s Russian.”

Before long, the sun had set and the duo had to resort to candle light to see. A comfortable silver enveloping the cabin as the night grew on.

Corey grinned to himself as he laid on the ground, Faith’s soft snores indicating she was asleep.

Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as he thought. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Pushit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Departure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry belated Christmas guys! I basically wrote this chapter on my phone while I’m at my grandfather’s house so I apologize for spelling mistakes and such! Comment your thoughts, and I’ll be sure to clean up any mistakes once I return home. See you guys later!

* * *

  
Corey tapped his foot anxiously, chewing on his thumb’s nail as he sat in an old wooden chair. Faith still slept in the rickety old bed, her body curled in such a way it appeared as if she were sick.

“ _ Fuck, this was a horrid idea,”  _ Corey thought to himself.

In the heat of the moment, it seemed less shitty then it really was. Faith seemed genuine in her confession of not wanting to die. But, what in the absolute  _ fuck,  _ was he supposed to do with her?

Taking her to the Hope County Jail would be a death sentence for her, he couldn’t take her to the Whitetails lest they distrust even more than they already did. That really only left one place.

Fall’s End.

He could easily sneak Faith into one of the upper rooms in the Spread Eagle, hell, one of the abandoned houses would work just as well.

The only problem.

How the  _ fuck,  _ was he supposed to get her there, let alone get her out of her stupid flowery dress. 

Corey rubbed his face in his hands, groaning as he looked at the sleeping form of Faith.

“ _ What the fuck have I done?” _

* * *

Waking up in the dark was a disorienting experience for Faith to say the least. Her eyes had a hard time adjusting to a consistently dark room. It was… strange to say the least.

But even in the dark, Corey stood out like a sore thumb.

The deputy wasn’t facing her; sitting in a chair in the far corner of the cabin facing a dimly lit candle on a countertop. He appeared to be deep in thought, hands cupped in front of his face as his brows furrowed in concentration.

Faith pushed herself off the old bed, wincing at the sharp pain jolting up in her stomach and all throughout her abdomen as she straightened herself to sit on the edge of the mattress.

Even with the creaking of the springs, Corey remained still, eyes unmoving, hands curling further in on themselves as he studied the orange glow of the flame further.

Faith coughed quietly, just loud enough for Corey to hear and knock him out of his delusions.

He jolted at the sound, hand reflectively reaching for the holstered 1911 at his hip. Eyes widening as he whipped around to view the girl, letting out a both relieved and bothered sigh when he realized it was only her.

“Christ, do you wanna get shot?” Corey’s voice blurred the line between teasing and annoyed, his facial expressions not helping to clear Faith’s confusion.

“I already have been,” Faith shot back, her eyes sharpening at the junior deputy.

Thanks to the darkness of the cabin, Faith couldn’t tell if Corey’s lip quirked up into a smirk, or slipped into a frown. Going off of what little she knew, Faith assumed -  _ hoped _ \- it was the latter. 

Corey studied Faith intently, eyes narrowing at the girl, wondering just  _ what  _ she was thinking. He stood up from his chair shortly after.

“Alright, I need you to change into this,” Corey states abruptly, tossing a set of raggedy clothes towards Faith. Some jeans, a plaid button up, some fairly beat up sneakers, and a grey pull-over hoodie. “We’re leaving this place.”

Faith’s mouth fell agape, watching the set of clothes flop onto the bed beside her before she turned her disbelieving stare to Corey.

“And where could we possibly be going?” Faith asked, bitterly. Arms folded in front of her chest as her eyes sharpened.

“Fall’s End,” Corey responded just as quickly, his voice gaining a dangerous edge to it, running a hand through his curly as he let out a breath. “It’s not gonna be fuckin’ easy keeping you safe, but it’s the best thing I could come up with.”

Faith couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Take her to  _ Fall’s End.  _ This was the stupidest thing she’d heard in a long time.

“No. No, no, no. No, we can’t go there,” Faith shook her head, standing up from the bed, pacing back and forth as she subconsciously started to chew on her thumb.

Corey’s face scrunched in confusion. “Why not?”

The question came out more aggressive than he intended, but that was the least of his problems.

“Your people will eat me alive, Corey!” Faith stared at the deputy as if he were psychotic, eyes wide as her lips parted ever so slightly.

“I’ll keep you in one of the abandoned houses, no one will even know you’re there,” it wasn’t the best argument Corey could think of, but it was better than nothing.

“What if they found out?”

“They won’t.”

“But  _ what if they did?” _ Faith stood unmoving, turning most of her body towards the deputy, eyes challenging him to lie, to spew false promises.

Corey opened his mouth, then closed it again. What could he say? This whole situation was already fucked. If people found out that Faith was still alive that would double fuck the already fucked situation.

“ _ Fuck,”  _ Corey thought to himself, letting out an exasperated sigh.

“Listen, I know reassurances coming from me probably mean jack shit to you,” Corey started, taking a few steps forward to place a cautious hand on Faith’s shoulder, not missing the slight jolt that jumped through the distracted girl. “But we shouldn’t stay in this fucked cabin any longer than we need to. It’s served its purpose, now we need to get out of here before someone wanders right to it.”

“You know this is a terrible idea,” Faith shrugged the deputy’s hand off her shoulder, turning around to grab the rugged clothes he had provided, the traces of a glare forming on her face.

“It’s the best thing I could come up with,” Corey said again, his right hand curling into a fist, agitation growing in his stomach. “The jail would be no better, if not worse, and the Whitetail’s dis-trust me enough as is, so we have to make do.” 

“I don’t  _ care _ , if it’s the best you could come up with, both of us run the risk of dying if we go!” Faith countered, voice getting louder as her own anger started to brew.

“We’re running the risk of dying by staying here! At least there, we have  _ some  _ semblance of protection,” Corey countered, fist tightening at his side, scowl deepening.

“Your  _ protection detail,  _ want me dead Corey!” Faith’s voice grew angrier with every word.

Corey stared the woman down, taking in a deep breath as he uncurled his fist.

“I just want to keep you safe, Faith,” Corey said, his voice much calmer than before, his hand now resting free instead of crushing itself in a fist.

Faith’s own scowl loosened, her lips falling down into a quisitive frown.

“Why?” her voice was calmer now as well, quieter. “After all I’ve done, why keep me safe? You should want me dead, no?”

Corey looked at Faith with an unreadable look, eyes scrunched and his jaw set in a tight line. He looked down at the floor, cracking his knuckles before turning towards the cabin door.

“You have 5 minutes, be out by then,” he said as he pulled the door open, soft washes of moon light flooding into the cabin. “And don’t try anything stupid, for both our sakes.”

Faith’s face turned downtrodden, her curiosity surrounding the Deputy flaring again despite their little Q&A session the night before. She had asked such basic -  _ hollow  _ \- questions. She wanted to learn who the deputy was, who  _ Corey  _ was. She wanted to know every fact, every anecdote, about him.

She just hoped that time would allow her to do so.

**Author's Note:**

> Short chapter I know, but I hope to make longer chapters as time goes on. Please comment below your thoughts, and I'll see you guys soon!


End file.
